Fisheries: Pipelines Threaten Ecology

September 17, 2003|By David Fleshler Staff Writer

The National Marine Fisheries Service has threatened to seek White House review of two pipelines planned to bring natural gas from the Bahamas to Broward County, saying the projects could cause "significant and adverse long-term impacts to nationally important living marine resources."

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently announced a tentative conclusion that the pipelines proposed by AES Corp. and Tractebel North America Inc. would cause little environmental harm. But in letters filed with the commission, the fisheries service said the commission failed to take a hard enough look at the danger to coral reefs, marine life and mangrove shorelines.

If the commission's final environmental impact statements don't address its concerns, the fisheries service said it would appeal to the President's Council on Environmental Quality, a White House office that mediates environmental disputes among federal agencies.

The Bush administration generally has supported big energy projects, such as the expansion of oil and gas drilling in Alaska and the Rocky Mountains. But the administration has also shown great sensitivity to environmental concerns in Florida, a crucial state for the 2004 presidential election. Last year the federal government agreed to buy oil rights to prevent drilling off the northwest Florida coast and at Big Cypress National Preserve.

The fisheries service said the companies appeared to be making a genuine effort to protect the reefs and other marine resources, and their plans to drill pipeline routes under the reefs seemed sound.

"However, this is a large-scale and technically complex project with a high potential for a technological failure, human error, and/or challenging work environments," the service wrote in letters on both pipelines.

Among the risks: A storm could dislodge barges and other equipment, dragging them across the reefs. Drilling lubricant could escape and clog up the coral, and the construction work could increase turbidity, suspended particles that could smother marine creatures or deprive them of light.

FOR THE RECORD - CORRECTION PUBLISHED THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2003.An article on Page 1B of Wednesday's Local section misquoted Don Bartlett, project manager for AES Corp., regarding the timing of the likely approval of a natural gas pipeline. Bartlett did not say he expects approval within two weeks. He said he expects the Bahamas to approve the pipeline soon and that he expects a letter announcing the favorable results of an environmental review to be sent to the Cabinet within two weeks.

The service requested many additional safety measures. These include additional analysis of the risks of drilling particular corridors under the reefs, the preparation of a plan to prevent damage during a storm, constant visual inspections by divers during construction and a stricter turbidity standard.

Since the pipelines would pass through areas designated by the federal government as essential fish habitat, the service said the next environmental reviews must have rigorous analysis of the projects' likely impact on Goliath groupers, mutton snappers, white grunts and other species.

In assessing the pipelines' likely effect on the environment, the fisheries service said the commission should have considered the cumulative impact of other projects planned or taking place around the coast. These include the laying of fiber-optic cables, beach widening in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and dredging at Port Everglades and the Port of Miami.

The President's Council on Environmental Quality is sometimes described as the court of last resort for environmental disputes within the government. If a federal agency thinks that another agency conducted an insufficient environmental review, it can appeal to the council.

The council has several options, including conducting hearings, mediating the dispute or recommending a decision to the president.

Tamara Young-Allen, spokeswoman for the energy commission, said other agencies rarely invoke their authority to go to the White House.

"It is unusual for a federal agency to make that kind of promise," she said. "But we try to work closely with all agencies to make sure their issues are addressed."

Don Bartlett, project manager for AES, said the company has already responded to many of the fisheries service's concerns and that the documents with the energy commission don't reflect this yet.

AES has agreed to hold to a stricter turbidity standard to protect the reefs. The company has prepared a storm plan to prevent harm to the reefs from construction equipment.

While the company thinks the construction site will be too extensive to be effectively monitored by divers, it plans to put dye in the drilling mud so any leaks could be detected immediately.

"We're committed to our stewardship of the environment and to minimize the impact of all our facilities," Bartlett said. "We have developed protective strategies and engineering controls as outlined in our environmental construction, monitoring and verification plan to provide reasonable assurance that the proposed construction activities will avoid and/or minimize potential impacts to this sensitive coral reef system."

He said that Bahamas officials said they plan to announce approval of the pipeline within two weeks.

Tractebel officials could not be reached for comment.

The energy commission is working on final environmental impact statements that should be completed early next year. At that point, the commission, a board appointed by the president, will vote whether to approve each project.

David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4535.